By Eva Cheng
On May 15, some 1000 protesters marched from the city centre of Okinawa to the Kadena Air Base to demand the US reduce its military bases in Okinawa.
About 75% of US bases in Japan are in Okinawa. The Okinawans' main demand is to shift at least some of the bases to other parts of the country. There has been little support from the rest of Japan.
Some of the demonstrators own the land on which the bases are located. A majority of the owners had refused to renew the leases, due to expire on May 14, but had their decision overridden a few weeks ago by the Japanese parliament.
But the problem of Okinawa, which Liberal Democratic Party Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto last year described as "the most pressing matter", is far from resolved. The anti-bases movement, since its revival in September 1995, has repeatedly mobilised a substantial section of Okinawa's 1.3 million people.
The May 15 action was timed to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the reversion of Okinawa from the US to Japan. Then, a majority of Okinawans welcomed the move, but today they are less sure. Okinawans have a culture and history distinct from the rest of Japan. Okinawa was, and remains, Japan's poorest region, and suffers from crime, safety and health problems associated with the bases.
The anti-bases movement has won the support of Okinawa's governor, Masahide Ota, who has repeatedly confronted the central government on the question. Ota, who led a protest tour to the US last month, said in disgust that with the US bases, "Okinawa can't even carry out community planning, let alone planning for economic development".